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Rosic N, Delamare-Deboutteville J, Dove S. Heat stress in symbiotic dinoflagellates: Implications on oxidative stress and cellular changes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 944:173916. [PMID: 38866148 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Global warming has been shown to harmfully affect symbiosis between Symbiodiniaceae and other marine invertebrates. When symbiotic dinoflagellates (the genus Breviolum) were in vitro exposed to acute heat stress of +7 °C for a period of 5 days, the results revealed the negative impact on all physiological and other cellular parameters measured. Elevated temperatures resulted in a severe reduction in algal density of up to 9.5-fold, as well as pigment concentrations, indicating the status of the physiological stress and early signs of photo-bleaching. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were increased in all heated dinoflagellate cells, while the antioxidant-reduced glutathione levels initially dropped on day one but increased under prolonged temperature stress. The cell viability parameters were reduced by 97 % over the heating period, with an increased proportion of apoptotic and necrotic cells. Autofluorescence (AF) for Cy5-PE 660-20 was reduced from 1.7-fold at day 1 to up to 50-fold drop at the end of heating time, indicating that the AF changes were highly sensitive to heat stress and that it could be an extremely sensitive tool for assessing the functionality of algal photosynthetic machinery. The addition of the drug 5-AZA-2'-deoxycytidine (5-AZA), which inhibits DNA methylation processes, was assessed in parallel and contributed to some alterations in algal cellular stress response. The presence of drug 5-AZA combined with the temperature stress had an additional impact on Symbiodiniaceae density and cell complexity, including the AF levels. These variations in cellular stress response under heat stress and compromised DNA methylation conditions may indicate the importance of this epigenetic mechanism for symbiotic dinoflagellate thermal tolerance adaptability over a longer period, which needs further exploration. Consequently, the increased ROS levels and changes in AF signals reported during ongoing heat stress in dinoflagellate cells could be used as early stress biomarkers in these microalgae and potentially other photosynthetic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nedeljka Rosic
- Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia; Marine Ecology Research Centre, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia.
| | | | - Sophie Dove
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Qld, Australia
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2
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Kupke J, Klimmt J, Mudlaff F, Schwab M, Lutsik P, Plass C, Sticht C, Oliveira AMM. Dnmt3a1 regulates hippocampus-dependent memory via the downstream target Nrp1. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:1528-1539. [PMID: 38499720 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01843-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Epigenetic factors are well-established players in memory formation. Specifically, DNA methylation is necessary for the formation of long-term memory in multiple brain regions including the hippocampus. Despite the demonstrated role of DNA methyltransferases (Dnmts) in memory formation, it is unclear whether individual Dnmts have unique or redundant functions in long-term memory formation. Furthermore, the downstream processes controlled by Dnmts during memory consolidation have not been investigated. In this study, we demonstrated that Dnmt3a1, the predominant Dnmt in the adult brain, is required for long-term spatial object recognition and contextual fear memory. Using RNA sequencing, we identified an activity-regulated Dnmt3a1-dependent genomic program in which several genes were associated with functional and structural plasticity. Furthermore, we found that some of the identified genes are selectively dependent on Dnmt3a1, but not its isoform Dnmt3a2. Specifically, we identified Neuropilin 1 (Nrp1) as a downstream target of Dnmt3a1 and further demonstrated the involvement of Nrp1 in hippocampus-dependent memory formation. Importantly, we found that Dnmt3a1 regulates hippocampus-dependent memory via Nrp1. In contrast, Nrp1 overexpression did not rescue memory impairments triggered by reduced Dnmt3a2 levels. Taken together, our study uncovered a Dnmt3a-isoform-specific mechanism in memory formation, identified a novel regulator of memory, and further highlighted the complex and highly regulated functions of distinct epigenetic regulators in brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janina Kupke
- Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences (IZN), Heidelberg University, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Julien Klimmt
- Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences (IZN), Heidelberg University, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Franziska Mudlaff
- Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences (IZN), Heidelberg University, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, H3G 1A4, Canada
| | - Maximilian Schwab
- Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences (IZN), Heidelberg University, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Pavlo Lutsik
- Division of Cancer Epigenomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Christoph Plass
- Division of Cancer Epigenomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Carsten Sticht
- Next Generation Sequencing Core Facility, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Ana M M Oliveira
- Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences (IZN), Heidelberg University, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Cognition Research, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany.
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3
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Lin SM, Huang HT, Fang PJ, Chang CF, Satange R, Chang CK, Chou SH, Neidle S, Hou MH. Structural basis of water-mediated cis Watson-Crick/Hoogsteen base-pair formation in non-CpG methylation. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:8566-8579. [PMID: 38989613 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-CpG methylation is associated with several cellular processes, especially neuronal development and cancer, while its effect on DNA structure remains unclear. We have determined the crystal structures of DNA duplexes containing -CGCCG- regions as CCG repeat motifs that comprise a non-CpG site with or without cytosine methylation. Crystal structure analyses have revealed that the mC:G base-pair can simultaneously form two alternative conformations arising from non-CpG methylation, including a unique water-mediated cis Watson-Crick/Hoogsteen, (w)cWH, and Watson-Crick (WC) geometries, with partial occupancies of 0.1 and 0.9, respectively. NMR studies showed that an alternative conformation of methylated mC:G base-pair at non-CpG step exhibits characteristics of cWH with a syn-guanosine conformation in solution. DNA duplexes complexed with the DNA binding drug echinomycin result in increased occupancy of the (w)cWH geometry in the methylated base-pair (from 0.1 to 0.3). Our structural results demonstrated that cytosine methylation at a non-CpG step leads to an anti→syntransition of its complementary guanosine residue toward the (w)cWH geometry as a partial population of WC, in both drug-bound and naked mC:G base pairs. This particular geometry is specific to non-CpG methylated dinucleotide sites in B-form DNA. Overall, the current study provides new insights into DNA conformation during epigenetic regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan-Meng Lin
- Graduate Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Hsiang-Ti Huang
- Graduate Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Ju Fang
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Fon Chang
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Roshan Satange
- Graduate Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Ke Chang
- Taiwan Biobank, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Shan-Ho Chou
- Institute of Biochemistry, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Stephen Neidle
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, London WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Ming-Hon Hou
- Graduate Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
- Doctoral Program in Medical Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
- Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
- Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
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4
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Dittrich M, Bernhardt L, Penfold CA, Boroviak TE, Drummer C, Behr R, Müller T, Haaf T. Age-related and species-specific methylation changes in the protein-coding marmoset sperm epigenome. Aging Cell 2024; 23:e14200. [PMID: 38757354 DOI: 10.1111/acel.14200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The sperm epigenome is thought to affect the developmental programming of the resulting embryo, influencing health and disease in later life. Age-related methylation changes in the sperm of old fathers may mediate the increased risks for reproductive and offspring medical problems. The impact of paternal age on sperm methylation has been extensively studied in humans and, to a lesser extent, in rodents and cattle. Here, we performed a comparative analysis of paternal age effects on protein-coding genes in the human and marmoset sperm methylomes. The marmoset has gained growing importance as a non-human primate model of aging and age-related diseases. Using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing, we identified age-related differentially methylated transcription start site (ageTSS) regions in 204 marmoset and 27 human genes. The direction of methylation changes was the opposite, increasing with age in marmosets and decreasing in humans. None of the identified ageTSS was differentially methylated in both species. Although the average methylation levels of all TSS regions were highly correlated between marmosets and humans, with the majority of TSS being hypomethylated in sperm, more than 300 protein-coding genes were endowed with species-specifically (hypo)methylated TSS. Several genes of the glycosphingolipid (GSL) biosynthesis pathway, which plays a role in embryonic stem cell differentiation and regulation of development, were hypomethylated (<5%) in human and fully methylated (>95%) in marmoset sperm. The expression levels and patterns of defined sets of GSL genes differed considerably between human and marmoset pre-implantation embryo stages and blastocyst tissues, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Dittrich
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Bioinformatics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Laura Bernhardt
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christopher A Penfold
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Thorsten E Boroviak
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Charis Drummer
- Platform Degenerative Diseases, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Behr
- Platform Degenerative Diseases, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Müller
- Department of Bioinformatics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Haaf
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
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5
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Ye C, Zhao Z, Lai P, Chen C, Jian F, Liang H, Guo Q. Strategies for the detection of site-specific DNA methylation and its application, opportunities and challenges in the field of electrochemical biosensors. ANALYTICAL METHODS : ADVANCING METHODS AND APPLICATIONS 2024. [PMID: 39051422 DOI: 10.1039/d4ay00779d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification that plays a crucial role in various biological processes. Aberrant DNA methylation is closely associated with the onset of diseases, and the specific localization of methylation sites in the genome offers further insight into the connection between methylation and diseases. Currently, there are numerous methods available for site-specific methylation detection. Electrochemical biosensors have garnered significant attention due to their distinct advantages, such as rapidity, simplicity, high sensitivity, low cost, and the potential for miniaturization. In this paper, we present a systematic review of the primary sensing strategies utilized in the past decade for analyzing site-specific methylation and their applications in electrochemical sensors, from a novel perspective focusing on the localization analysis of site-specific methylation. These strategies include bisulfite treatment, restriction endonuclease treatment, other sensing strategies, and deamination without direct bisulfite treatment. We hope that this paper can offer ideas and references for establishing site-specific methylation electrochemical analysis in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenliu Ye
- Department of Pharmacy, Longyan First Hospital, Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Longyan 364000, China.
| | - Zhibin Zhao
- Department of Pharmacy, Longyan First Hospital, Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Longyan 364000, China.
| | - Penghui Lai
- The Second Hospital of Longyan, Longyan 364000, China
| | - Chunmei Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, Longyan First Hospital, Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Longyan 364000, China.
| | - Fumei Jian
- Department of Pharmacy, Longyan First Hospital, Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Longyan 364000, China.
| | - Haiying Liang
- Department of Pharmacy, Longyan First Hospital, Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Longyan 364000, China.
| | - Qiongying Guo
- Department of Pharmacy, Longyan First Hospital, Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Longyan 364000, China.
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6
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Hua X, Zhou H, Wu HC, Furnari J, Kotidis CP, Rabadan R, Genkinger JM, Bruce JN, Canoll P, Santella RM, Zhang Z. Tumor detection by analysis of both symmetric- and hemi-methylation of plasma cell-free DNA. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6113. [PMID: 39030196 PMCID: PMC11271492 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50471-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Aberrant DNA methylation patterns have been used for cancer detection. However, DNA hemi-methylation, present at about 10% CpG dinucleotides, has been less well studied. Here we show that a majority of differentially hemi-methylated regions (DHMRs) in liver tumor DNA or plasma cells free (cf) DNA do not overlap with differentially methylated regions (DMRs) of the same samples, indicating that DHMRs could serve as independent biomarkers. Furthermore, we analyzed the cfDNA methylomes of 215 samples from individuals with liver or brain cancer and individuals without cancer (controls), and trained machine learning models using DMRs, DHMRs or both. The models incorporated with both DMRs and DHMRs show a superior performance compared to models trained with DMRs or DHMRs, with AUROC being 0.978, 0.990, and 0.983 in distinguishing control, liver and brain cancer, respectively, in a validation cohort. This study supports the potential of utilizing both DMRs and DHMRs for multi-cancer detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Hua
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Hui Zhou
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Hui-Chen Wu
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Julia Furnari
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Corina P Kotidis
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Raul Rabadan
- Program for Mathematical Genomics and Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jeanine M Genkinger
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jeffrey N Bruce
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Peter Canoll
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Regina M Santella
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Zhiguo Zhang
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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7
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Sakellaropoulos T, Do C, Jiang G, Cova G, Meyn P, Dimartino D, Ramaswami S, Heguy A, Tsirigos A, Skok JA. MethNet: a robust approach to identify regulatory hubs and their distal targets from cancer data. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6027. [PMID: 39025865 PMCID: PMC11258126 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50380-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Aberrations in the capacity of DNA/chromatin modifiers and transcription factors to bind non-coding regions can lead to changes in gene regulation and impact disease phenotypes. However, identifying distal regulatory elements and connecting them with their target genes remains challenging. Here, we present MethNet, a pipeline that integrates large-scale DNA methylation and gene expression data across multiple cancers, to uncover cis regulatory elements (CREs) in a 1 Mb region around every promoter in the genome. MethNet identifies clusters of highly ranked CREs, referred to as 'hubs', which contribute to the regulation of multiple genes and significantly affect patient survival. Promoter-capture Hi-C confirmed that highly ranked associations involve physical interactions between CREs and their gene targets, and CRISPR interference based single-cell RNA Perturb-seq validated the functional impact of CREs. Thus, MethNet-identified CREs represent a valuable resource for unraveling complex mechanisms underlying gene expression, and for prioritizing the verification of predicted non-coding disease hotspots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodore Sakellaropoulos
- Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Catherine Do
- Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Guimei Jiang
- Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Giulia Cova
- Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Peter Meyn
- Genome Technology Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dacia Dimartino
- Genome Technology Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sitharam Ramaswami
- Genome Technology Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Adriana Heguy
- Genome Technology Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aristotelis Tsirigos
- Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA.
- Applied Bioinformatics Laboratories, Office of Science & Research, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Jane A Skok
- Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA.
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8
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Pozojevic J, Sivaprasad R, Laß J, Haarich F, Trinh J, Kakar N, Schulz K, Händler K, Verrijn Stuart AA, Giltay JC, van Gassen KL, Caliebe A, Holterhus PM, Spielmann M, Hornig NC. LINE1-mediated epigenetic repression of androgen receptor transcription causes androgen insensitivity syndrome. Sci Rep 2024; 14:16302. [PMID: 39009627 PMCID: PMC11251026 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65439-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) is a difference of sex development (DSD) characterized by different degrees of undervirilization in individuals with a 46,XY karyotype despite normal to high gonadal testosterone production. Classically, AIS is explained by hemizygous mutations in the X-chromosomal androgen receptor (AR) gene. Nevertheless, the majority of individuals with clinically diagnosed AIS do not carry an AR gene mutation. Here, we present a patient with a 46,XY karyotype, born with undervirilized genitalia, age-appropriate testosterone levels and no uterus, characteristic for AIS. Diagnostic whole exome sequencing (WES) showed a maternally inherited LINE1 (L1) retrotransposon insertion in the 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) of the AR gene. Long-read nanopore sequencing confirmed this as an insertion of a truncated L1 element of ≈ 2.7 kb and showed an increased DNA methylation at the L1 insertion site in patient-derived genital skin fibroblasts (GSFs) compared to healthy controls. The insertion coincided with reduced AR transcript and protein levels in patient-derived GSFs confirming the clinical diagnosis AIS. Our results underline the relevance of retrotransposons in human disease, and expand the growing list of human diseases associated with them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelena Pozojevic
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Lübeck and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany.
| | - Radhika Sivaprasad
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Kiel and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Joshua Laß
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Franziska Haarich
- Institute of Cardiogenetics, University of Lübeck and German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Hamburg/Lübeck/Kiel, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Joanne Trinh
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Naseebullah Kakar
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Lübeck and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany
- Department of Biotechnology, FLS&I, BUITEMS, Quetta, Pakistan
| | - Kristin Schulz
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Lübeck and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Kristian Händler
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Lübeck and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Annemarie A Verrijn Stuart
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jacques C Giltay
- Division Laboratories, Pharmacy and Biomedical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Koen L van Gassen
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Almuth Caliebe
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Kiel and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Paul-Martin Holterhus
- Division of Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Malte Spielmann
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Lübeck and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Kiel and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
- Human Molecular Genomics Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Hamburg/Lübeck/Kiel, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Nadine C Hornig
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Kiel and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany.
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9
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Sarre LA, Kim IV, Ovchinnikov V, Olivetta M, Suga H, Dudin O, Sebé-Pedrós A, de Mendoza A. DNA methylation enables recurrent endogenization of giant viruses in an animal relative. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eado6406. [PMID: 38996012 PMCID: PMC11244446 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ado6406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024]
Abstract
5-Methylcytosine (5mC) is a widespread silencing mechanism that controls genomic parasites. In eukaryotes, 5mC has gained complex roles in gene regulation beyond parasite control, yet 5mC has also been lost in many lineages. The causes for 5mC retention and its genomic consequences are still poorly understood. Here, we show that the protist closely related to animals Amoebidium appalachense features both transposon and gene body methylation, a pattern reminiscent of invertebrates and plants. Unexpectedly, hypermethylated genomic regions in Amoebidium derive from viral insertions, including hundreds of endogenized giant viruses, contributing 14% of the proteome. Using a combination of inhibitors and genomic assays, we demonstrate that 5mC silences these giant virus insertions. Moreover, alternative Amoebidium isolates show polymorphic giant virus insertions, highlighting a dynamic process of infection, endogenization, and purging. Our results indicate that 5mC is critical for the controlled coexistence of newly acquired viral DNA into eukaryotic genomes, making Amoebidium a unique model to understand the hybrid origins of eukaryotic DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke A. Sarre
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Iana V. Kim
- CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vladimir Ovchinnikov
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Marine Olivetta
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hiroshi Suga
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, Prefectural University of Hiroshima, Shobara, Japan
| | - Omaya Dudin
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Arnau Sebé-Pedrós
- CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alex de Mendoza
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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10
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Wen Y, Yang H, Hong Y. Transcriptomic Approaches to Cardiomyocyte-Biomaterial Interactions: A Review. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2024; 10:4175-4194. [PMID: 38934720 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.4c00303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Biomaterials, essential for supporting, enhancing, and repairing damaged tissues, play a critical role in various medical applications. This Review focuses on the interaction of biomaterials and cardiomyocytes, emphasizing the unique significance of transcriptomic approaches in understanding their interactions, which are pivotal in cardiac bioengineering and regenerative medicine. Transcriptomic approaches serve as powerful tools to investigate how cardiomyocytes respond to biomaterials, shedding light on the gene expression patterns, regulatory pathways, and cellular processes involved in these interactions. Emerging technologies such as bulk RNA-seq, single-cell RNA-seq, single-nucleus RNA-seq, and spatial transcriptomics offer promising avenues for more precise and in-depth investigations. Longitudinal studies, pathway analyses, and machine learning techniques further improve the ability to explore the complex regulatory mechanisms involved. This review also discusses the challenges and opportunities of utilizing transcriptomic techniques in cardiomyocyte-biomaterial research. Although there are ongoing challenges such as costs, cell size limitation, sample differences, and complex analytical process, there exist exciting prospects in comprehensive gene expression analyses, biomaterial design, cardiac disease treatment, and drug testing. These multimodal methodologies have the capacity to deepen our understanding of the intricate interaction network between cardiomyocytes and biomaterials, potentially revolutionizing cardiac research with the aim of promoting heart health, and they are also promising for studying interactions between biomaterials and other cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufeng Wen
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, United States
| | - Huaxiao Yang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76207, United States
| | - Yi Hong
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, United States
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11
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Impey S, Raber J. Irradiation and Alterations in Hippocampal DNA Methylation. EPIGENOMES 2024; 8:27. [PMID: 39051185 PMCID: PMC11270359 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes8030027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The response of the brain to radiation is important for cancer patients receiving whole or partial brain irradiation or total body irradiation, those exposed to irradiation as part of a nuclear accident or a nuclear war or terrorism event, and for astronauts during and following space missions. The mechanisms mediating the effects of irradiation on the hippocampus might be associated with alterations in hippocampal DNA methylation. Changes in cytosine methylation involving the addition of a methyl group to cytosine (5 mC) and especially those involving the addition of a hydroxy group to 5 mC (hydroxymethylcytosine or 5 hmC) play a key role in regulating the expression of genes required for hippocampal function. In this review article, we will discuss the effects of radiation on hippocampal DNA methylation and whether these effects are associated with hippocampus-dependent cognitive measures and molecular measures in the hippocampus involved in cognitive measures. We will also discuss whether the radiation-induced changes in hippocampal DNA methylation show an overlap across different doses of heavy ion irradiation and across irradiation with different ions. We will also discuss whether the DNA methylation changes show a tissue-dependent response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soren Impey
- Dow Neurobiology Laboratories, Legacy Research Institute Legacy Health Systems, 1225 NE 2nd Ave, Portland, OR 97232, USA
- Departments of Behavioral Neuroscience, Neurology, and Radiation Medicine, Division of Neuroscience, ONPRC, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Jacob Raber
- Departments of Behavioral Neuroscience, Neurology, and Radiation Medicine, Division of Neuroscience, ONPRC, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA
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12
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Xie S, Jiang L, Song W, Zheng J, Liu Y, Chen S, Yan X. Skeletal muscle feature of different populations in large yellow croaker ( Larimichthys crocea): from an epigenetic point of view. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1403861. [PMID: 39015478 PMCID: PMC11249746 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1403861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Fish skeletal muscle is composed of well-defined fiber types. In order to identify potential candidate genes affecting muscle growth and development under epigenetic regulation. Bisulfite sequencing was utilized to analyze and compare the muscle DNA methylation profiles of Larimichthys crocea inhabiting different environments. The results revealed that DNA methylation in L. crocea was predominantly CG methylation, with 2,396 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) identified through comparisons among different populations. The largest difference in methylation was observed between the ZhouShan and JinMen wild populations, suggesting that L. crocea may have undergone selection and domestication. Additionally, GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of differentially methylated genes (DMGs) revealed 626 enriched GO functional categories, including various muscle-related genes such as myh10, myf5, myf6, ndufv1, klhl31, map3k4, syn2b, sostdc1a, bag4, and hsp90ab. However, significant enrichment in KEGG pathways was observed only in the JinMen and XiangShan populations of L. crocea. Therefore, this study provides a theoretical foundation for a better understanding of the epigenetic regulation of skeletal muscle growth and development in L. crocea under different environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shangwei Xie
- National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, College of Fisheries, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China
- Nanji Archipelago National Marine Nature Reserve Administration, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Lihua Jiang
- National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, College of Fisheries, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Weihua Song
- National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, College of Fisheries, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jialang Zheng
- National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, College of Fisheries, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yifan Liu
- National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, College of Fisheries, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Shun Chen
- National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, College of Fisheries, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Xiaojun Yan
- National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, College of Fisheries, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China
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13
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Yadav B, Singh D, Mantri S, Rishi V. Genome-wide Methylation Dynamics and Context-dependent Gene Expression Variability in Differentiating Preadipocytes. J Endocr Soc 2024; 8:bvae121. [PMID: 38966711 PMCID: PMC11222978 DOI: 10.1210/jendso/bvae121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Obesity, characterized by the accumulation of excess fat, is a complex condition resulting from the combination of genetic and epigenetic factors. Recent studies have found correspondence between DNA methylation and cell differentiation, suggesting a role of the former in cell fate determination. There is a lack of comprehensive understanding concerning the underpinnings of preadipocyte differentiation, specifically when cells are undergoing terminal differentiation (TD). To gain insight into dynamic genome-wide methylation, 3T3 L1 preadipocyte cells were differentiated by a hormone cocktail. The genomic DNA was isolated from undifferentiated cells and 4 hours, 2 days postdifferentiated cells, and 15 days TD cells. We employed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) to ascertain global genomic DNA methylation alterations at single base resolution as preadipocyte cells differentiate. The genome-wide distribution of DNA methylation showed similar overall patterns in pre-, post-, and terminally differentiated adipocytes, according to WGBS analysis. DNA methylation decreases at 4 hours after differentiation initiation, followed by methylation gain as cells approach TD. Studies revealed novel differentially methylated regions (DMRs) associated with adipogenesis. DMR analysis suggested that though DNA methylation is global, noticeable changes are observed at specific sites known as "hotspots." Hotspots are genomic regions rich in transcription factor (TF) binding sites and exhibit methylation-dependent TF binding. Subsequent analysis indicated hotspots as part of DMRs. The gene expression profile of key adipogenic genes in differentiating adipocytes is context-dependent, as we found a direct and inverse relationship between promoter DNA methylation and gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binduma Yadav
- Nutritional Biotechnology, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Mohali, Punjab 140306, India
- Regional Center for Biotechnology, Faridabad, Haryana 160014, India
| | - Dalwinder Singh
- Nutritional Biotechnology, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Mohali, Punjab 140306, India
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Western University, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Shrikant Mantri
- Nutritional Biotechnology, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Mohali, Punjab 140306, India
| | - Vikas Rishi
- Nutritional Biotechnology, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Mohali, Punjab 140306, India
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14
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Zhang Z, Liu G, Zhou Z, Su Z, Gu X. Global level of methylation in the sea lamprey (jawless vertebrate) genome is intermediate between invertebrate and jawed vertebrate genomes. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART B, MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2024; 342:391-397. [PMID: 38497317 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
In eukaryotes, cytosine methylation is a primary heritable epigenetic modification of the genome that regulates many cellular processes. In invertebrate, methylated cytosine generally located on specific genomic elements (e.g., gene bodies and silenced repetitive elements) to show a "mosaic" pattern. While in jawed vertebrate (teleost and tetrapod), highly methylated cytosine located genome-wide but only absence at regulatory regions (e.g., promoter and enhancer). Many studies imply that the evolution of DNA methylation reprogramming may have helped the transition from invertebrates to jawed vertebrates, but the detail remains largely elusive. In this study, we used the whole-genome bisulfite-sequencing technology to investigate the genome-wide methylation in three tissues (heart, muscle, and sperm) from the sea lamprey, an extant agnathan (jawless) vertebrate. Strikingly, we found that the methylation level of the sea lamprey is very similar to that in sea urchin (a deuterostome) and sea squirt (a chordate) invertebrates. In sum, the global pattern in sea lamprey is intermediate methylation level (around 30%), that is higher than methylation level in the genomes of pre-bilaterians and protostomes (1%-10%), but lower than methylation level appeared in jawed vertebrates (around 70%, teleost and tetrapod). We anticipate that, in addition to genetic dynamics such as genome duplications, epigenetic dynamics such as global methylation reprograming was also orchestrated toward the emergence and evolution of vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Gangbiao Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhan Zhou
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhixi Su
- Singlera Genomics Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Xun Gu
- Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
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15
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Smith AK, Katrinli S, Cobb DO, Goff EG, Simmond M, Christensen GM, Prusisz T, Garth SN, Brashear M, Hüls A, Wolf EJ, Trapido EJ, Rung AL, Nugent NR, Peters ES. Epigenetic Age Acceleration and Disparities in Posttraumatic Stress in Women in Southeast Louisiana: NIMHD Social Epigenomics Program. JAMA Netw Open 2024; 7:e2421884. [PMID: 39073815 PMCID: PMC11287391 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.21884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Importance Disasters experienced by an entire community provide opportunities to understand individual differences in risk for adverse health outcomes over time. DNA methylation (DNAm) differences may help to distinguish individuals at increased risk following large-scale disasters. Objective To examine the association of epigenetic age acceleration with probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and PTSD symptom severity in women. Design, Setting, and Participants This prospective cohort study examined data from participants in the Women and Their Children's Health cohort, who were characterized longitudinally following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DHOS) in 2010 and through numerous hurricanes in the Gulf Coast region of the US. Wave 1 occurred August 6, 2012, through June 26, 2014, and wave 2 occurred September 2, 2014, through May 27, 2016. Data were analyzed between August 18 and November 4, 2023. Address-based sampling was used to recruit women aged 18 to 80 years and residing in 1 of the 7 Louisiana parishes surrounding the DHOS-affected region. Recruitment consisted of 2-stage sampling that (1) undersampled the 2 more urban parishes to maximize probability of participant oil exposure and (2) proportionally recruited participants across census tracts in the 5 other parishes closest to the spill. Exposure Posttraumatic stress subsequent to the DHOS. Main Outcome and Measures Epigenetic age acceleration was measured by DNAm assayed from survey wave 1 blood samples. Posttraumatic stress disorder was assessed using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 at survey wave 2, and lifetime trauma exposure was assessed using the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5. General linear models were used to examine the association between wave 1 DNAm age and wave 2 probable PTSD diagnosis and symptom severity. Results A total of 864 women (mean [SD] age, 47.1 [12.0] years; 328 Black [38.0%], 19 American Indian [2.2%], 486 White [56.3%], and 30 of other racial groups, including uknown or unreported [3.5%]) were included. Black and American Indian participants had a higher age acceleration at wave 1 compared with White participants (β = 1.64 [95% CI, 1.02-2.45] and 2.34 [95% CI, 0.33-4.34], respectively), and they had higher PTSD symptom severity at wave 2 (β = 7.10 [95% CI, 4.62-9.58] and 13.08 [95% CI, 4.97-21.18], respectively). Epigenetic age acceleration at wave 1 was associated with PTSD symptom severity at wave 2 after adjusting for race, smoking, body mass index, and household income (β = 0.38; 95% CI, 0.11-0.65). Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study, epigenetic age acceleration was higher in minoritized racial groups and associated with future PTSD diagnosis and severity. These findings support the need for psychoeducation about traumatic responses to increase the likelihood that treatment is sought before years of distress and entrenchment of symptoms and comorbidities occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia K. Smith
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Seyma Katrinli
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Dawayland O. Cobb
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Evan G. Goff
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Michael Simmond
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Grace M. Christensen
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Tyler Prusisz
- Epidemiology Program, Louisiana State University School of Public Health, New Orleans
| | - Sierra N. Garth
- Epidemiology Department, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health, Omaha
| | - Meghan Brashear
- Epidemiology Department, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health, Omaha
| | - Anke Hüls
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Erika J. Wolf
- National Center for PTSD at VA Boston Healthcare System and Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Edward J. Trapido
- Epidemiology Program, Louisiana State University School of Public Health, New Orleans
| | - Ariane L. Rung
- Epidemiology Department, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health, Omaha
| | - Nicole R. Nugent
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Brown Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island
- Department of Pediatrics, Alpert Brown Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Alpert Brown Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Edward S. Peters
- Epidemiology Department, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health, Omaha
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16
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Yakhnitsa V, Thompson J, Ponomareva O, Ji G, Kiritoshi T, Mahimainathan L, Molehin D, Pruitt K, Neugebauer V. Dysfunction of Small-Conductance Ca 2+-Activated Potassium (SK) Channels Drives Amygdala Hyperexcitability and Neuropathic Pain Behaviors: Involvement of Epigenetic Mechanisms. Cells 2024; 13:1055. [PMID: 38920682 PMCID: PMC11201618 DOI: 10.3390/cells13121055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuroplasticity in the amygdala and its central nucleus (CeA) is linked to pain modulation and pain behaviors, but cellular mechanisms are not well understood. Here, we addressed the role of small-conductance Ca2+-activated potassium (SK) channels in pain-related amygdala plasticity. The facilitatory effects of the intra-CeA application of an SK channel blocker (apamin) on the pain behaviors of control rats were lost in a neuropathic pain model, whereas an SK channel activator (NS309) inhibited pain behaviors in neuropathic rats but not in sham controls, suggesting the loss of the inhibitory behavioral effects of amygdala SK channels. Brain slice electrophysiology found hyperexcitability of CeA neurons in the neuropathic pain condition due to the loss of SK channel-mediated medium afterhyperpolarization (mAHP), which was accompanied by decreased SK2 channel protein and mRNA expression, consistent with a pretranscriptional mechanisms. The underlying mechanisms involved the epigenetic silencing of the SK2 gene due to the increased DNA methylation of the CpG island of the SK2 promoter region and the change in methylated CpG sites in the CeA in neuropathic pain. This study identified the epigenetic dysregulation of SK channels in the amygdala (CeA) as a novel mechanism of neuropathic pain-related plasticity and behavior that could be targeted to control abnormally enhanced amygdala activity and chronic neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vadim Yakhnitsa
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Jeremy Thompson
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Olga Ponomareva
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Guangchen Ji
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
- Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Takaki Kiritoshi
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Lenin Mahimainathan
- Department of Pathology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Deborah Molehin
- Department of Immunology and Molecular Microbiology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Kevin Pruitt
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Volker Neugebauer
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
- Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
- Garrison Institute on Aging, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
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17
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Rimoldi M, Wang N, Zhang J, Villar D, Odom DT, Taipale J, Flicek P, Roller M. DNA methylation patterns of transcription factor binding regions characterize their functional and evolutionary contexts. Genome Biol 2024; 25:146. [PMID: 38844976 PMCID: PMC11155190 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03218-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA methylation is an important epigenetic modification which has numerous roles in modulating genome function. Its levels are spatially correlated across the genome, typically high in repressed regions but low in transcription factor (TF) binding sites and active regulatory regions. However, the mechanisms establishing genome-wide and TF binding site methylation patterns are still unclear. RESULTS Here we use a comparative approach to investigate the association of DNA methylation to TF binding evolution in mammals. Specifically, we experimentally profile DNA methylation and combine this with published occupancy profiles of five distinct TFs (CTCF, CEBPA, HNF4A, ONECUT1, FOXA1) in the liver of five mammalian species (human, macaque, mouse, rat, dog). TF binding sites are lowly methylated, but they often also have intermediate methylation levels. Furthermore, biding sites are influenced by the methylation status of CpGs in their wider binding regions even when CpGs are absent from the core binding motif. Employing a classification and clustering approach, we extract distinct and species-conserved patterns of DNA methylation levels at TF binding regions. CEBPA, HNF4A, ONECUT1, and FOXA1 share the same methylation patterns, while CTCF's differ. These patterns characterize alternative functions and chromatin landscapes of TF-bound regions. Leveraging our phylogenetic framework, we find DNA methylation gain upon evolutionary loss of TF occupancy, indicating coordinated evolution. Furthermore, each methylation pattern has its own evolutionary trajectory reflecting its genomic contexts. CONCLUSIONS Our epigenomic analyses indicate a role for DNA methylation in TF binding changes across species including that specific DNA methylation profiles characterize TF binding and are associated with their regulatory activity, chromatin contexts, and evolutionary trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Rimoldi
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Ning Wang
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Functional Genomics and Systems Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE, 141 83, Sweden
| | - Jilin Zhang
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Functional Genomics and Systems Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE, 141 83, Sweden
| | - Diego Villar
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Robinson Way, Cambridge, 0RE, CB2, UK
- Present Address Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Duncan T Odom
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Robinson Way, Cambridge, 0RE, CB2, UK
- Present address Division of Regulatory Genomics and Cancer Evolution, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Jussi Taipale
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Functional Genomics and Systems Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE, 141 83, Sweden
- Applied Tumor Genomics Research Program, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Paul Flicek
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK.
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK.
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK.
| | - Maša Roller
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK.
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Tecik M, Adan A. Emerging DNA Methylome Targets in FLT3-ITD-Positive Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Combination Therapy with Clinically Approved FLT3 Inhibitors. Curr Treat Options Oncol 2024; 25:719-751. [PMID: 38696033 PMCID: PMC11222205 DOI: 10.1007/s11864-024-01202-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
OPINION STATEMENT The internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutation of the FMS-like receptor tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3-ITD) is the most common mutation observed in approximately 30% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. It represents poor prognosis due to continuous activation of downstream growth-promoting signaling pathways such as STAT5 and PI3K/AKT. Hence, FLT3 is considered an attractive druggable target; selective small FLT3 inhibitors (FLT3Is), such as midostaurin and quizartinib, have been clinically approved. However, patients possess generally poor remission rates and acquired resistance when FLT3I used alone. Various factors in patients could cause these adverse effects including altered epigenetic regulation, causing mainly abnormal gene expression patterns. Epigenetic modifications are required for hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal and differentiation; however, critical driver mutations have been identified in genes controlling DNA methylation (such as DNMT3A, TET2, IDH1/2). These regulators cause leukemia pathogenesis and affect disease diagnosis and prognosis when they co-occur with FLT3-ITD mutation. Therefore, understanding the role of different epigenetic alterations in FLT3-ITD AML pathogenesis and how they modulate FLT3I's activity is important to rationalize combinational treatment approaches including FLT3Is and modulators of methylation regulators or pathways. Data from ongoing pre-clinical and clinical studies will further precisely define the potential use of epigenetic therapy together with FLT3Is especially after characterized patients' mutational status in terms of FLT3 and DNA methlome regulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melisa Tecik
- Bioengineering Program, Graduate School of Engineering and Science, Abdullah Gul University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Aysun Adan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Life and Natural Sciences, Abdullah Gul University, Kayseri, Turkey.
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19
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Bleker C, Grady SK, Langston MA. A Comparative Study of Gene Co-Expression Thresholding Algorithms. J Comput Biol 2024; 31:539-548. [PMID: 38781420 DOI: 10.1089/cmb.2024.0509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The thresholding problem is studied in the context of graph theoretical analysis of gene co-expression data. A number of thresholding methodologies are described, implemented, and tested over a large collection of graphs derived from real high-throughput biological data. Comparative results are presented and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carissa Bleker
- Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Stephen K Grady
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Michael A Langston
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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20
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Boman J, Qvarnström A, Mugal CF. Regulatory and evolutionary impact of DNA methylation in two songbird species and their naturally occurring F 1 hybrids. BMC Biol 2024; 22:124. [PMID: 38807214 PMCID: PMC11134931 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01920-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Regulation of transcription by DNA methylation in 5'-CpG-3' context is a widespread mechanism allowing differential expression of genetically identical cells to persist throughout development. Consequently, differences in DNA methylation can reinforce variation in gene expression among cells, tissues, populations, and species. Despite a surge in studies on DNA methylation, we know little about the importance of DNA methylation in population differentiation and speciation. Here we investigate the regulatory and evolutionary impact of DNA methylation in five tissues of two Ficedula flycatcher species and their naturally occurring F1 hybrids. RESULTS We show that the density of CpG in the promoters of genes determines the strength of the association between DNA methylation and gene expression. The impact of DNA methylation on gene expression varies among tissues with the brain showing unique patterns. Differentially expressed genes between parental species are predicted by genetic and methylation differentiation in CpG-rich promoters. However, both these factors fail to predict hybrid misexpression suggesting that promoter mismethylation is not a main determinant of hybrid misexpression in Ficedula flycatchers. Using allele-specific methylation estimates in hybrids, we also determine the genome-wide contribution of cis- and trans effects in DNA methylation differentiation. These distinct mechanisms are roughly balanced in all tissues except the brain, where trans differences predominate. CONCLUSIONS Overall, this study provides insight on the regulatory and evolutionary impact of DNA methylation in songbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesper Boman
- Department of Ecology and Genetics (IEG), Division of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala, SE-752 36, Sweden.
| | - Anna Qvarnström
- Department of Ecology and Genetics (IEG), Division of Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala, SE-752 36, Sweden
| | - Carina F Mugal
- Department of Ecology and Genetics (IEG), Division of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala, SE-752 36, Sweden.
- CNRS, Laboratory of Biometry and Evolutionary Biology (LBBE), UMR 5558, University of Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France.
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21
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Pantier R, Brown M, Han S, Paton K, Meek S, Montavon T, Shukeir N, McHugh T, Kelly DA, Hochepied T, Libert C, Jenuwein T, Burdon T, Bird A. MeCP2 binds to methylated DNA independently of phase separation and heterochromatin organisation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3880. [PMID: 38719804 PMCID: PMC11079052 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47395-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Correlative evidence has suggested that the methyl-CpG-binding protein MeCP2 contributes to the formation of heterochromatin condensates via liquid-liquid phase separation. This interpretation has been reinforced by the observation that heterochromatin, DNA methylation and MeCP2 co-localise within prominent foci in mouse cells. The findings presented here revise this view. MeCP2 localisation is independent of heterochromatin as MeCP2 foci persist even when heterochromatin organisation is disrupted. Additionally, MeCP2 foci fail to show hallmarks of phase separation in live cells. Importantly, we find that mouse cellular models are highly atypical as MeCP2 distribution is diffuse in most mammalian species, including humans. Notably, MeCP2 foci are absent in Mus spretus which is a mouse subspecies lacking methylated satellite DNA repeats. We conclude that MeCP2 has no intrinsic tendency to form condensates and its localisation is independent of heterochromatin. Instead, the distribution of MeCP2 in the nucleus is primarily determined by global DNA methylation patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaël Pantier
- The Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, The King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Megan Brown
- The Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, The King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Sicheng Han
- The Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, The King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Katie Paton
- The Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, The King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Stephen Meek
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Thomas Montavon
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Stübeweg 51, 79108, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Nicholas Shukeir
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Stübeweg 51, 79108, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Toni McHugh
- The Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, The King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK
| | - David A Kelly
- The Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, The King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Tino Hochepied
- Center for Inflammation Research, VIB, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Claude Libert
- Center for Inflammation Research, VIB, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Thomas Jenuwein
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Stübeweg 51, 79108, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Tom Burdon
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Adrian Bird
- The Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, The King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK.
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22
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Penadés R, Almodóvar-Payá C, García-Rizo C, Ruíz V, Catalán R, Valero S, Wykes T, Fatjó-Vilas M, Arias B. Changes in BDNF methylation patterns after cognitive remediation therapy in schizophrenia: A randomized and controlled trial. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 173:166-174. [PMID: 38537483 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Although cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) produces cognitive benefits in schizophrenia, we do not yet understand whether molecular changes are associated with this cognitive improvement. A gene central to synaptic plasticity, the BDNF, has been proposed as one potential route. This study assesses whether BDNF methylation changes following CRT-produced cognitive improvement are detected. A randomized and controlled trial was performed with two groups (CRT, n = 40; TAU: Treatment as Usual, n = 20) on a sample of participants with schizophrenia. CRT was delivered by trained therapists using a web-based computerized program. Mixed Models, where the interaction of treatment (CRT, TAU) by time (T0: 0 weeks, T1: 16 weeks) was the main effect were used. Then, we tested the association between the treatment and methylation changes in three CpG islands of the BDNF gene. CRT group showed significant improvements in some cognitive domains. Between-groups differential changes in 5 CpG units over time were found, 4 in island 1 (CpG1.2, CpG1.7, CpG1.10, CpG1.17) and 1 in island 3 (CpG3.2). CRT group showed increases in methylation in CpG1.2, CpG1.7 and decreases in pG1.10, CpG1.17, and CpG3.2. Differences in the degree of methylation were associated with changes in Speed of Processing, Working Memory, and Verbal Learning within the CRT group. Those findings provide new data on the relationship between cognitive improvement and changes in peripheral methylation levels of BDNF gene, a key factor involved in neuroplasticity regulation. Trial Registration: NCT04278027.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Penadés
- Barcelona Clinic Schizophrenia Unit, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain; Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Carmen Almodóvar-Payá
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Clemente García-Rizo
- Barcelona Clinic Schizophrenia Unit, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain; Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Victoria Ruíz
- Barcelona Clinic Schizophrenia Unit, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rosa Catalán
- Barcelona Clinic Schizophrenia Unit, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain; Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergi Valero
- ACE Alzheimer Center Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Til Wykes
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mar Fatjó-Vilas
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bárbara Arias
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Spain
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23
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Geens B, Goossens S, Li J, Van de Peer Y, Vanden Broeck J. Untangling the gordian knot: The intertwining interactions between developmental hormone signaling and epigenetic mechanisms in insects. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2024; 585:112178. [PMID: 38342134 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2024.112178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
Hormones control developmental and physiological processes, often by regulating the expression of multiple genes simultaneously or sequentially. Crosstalk between hormones and epigenetics is pivotal to dynamically coordinate this process. Hormonal signals can guide the addition and removal of epigenetic marks, steering gene expression. Conversely, DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNAs can modulate regional chromatin structure and accessibility and regulate the expression of numerous (hormone-related) genes. Here, we provide a review of the interplay between the classical insect hormones, ecdysteroids and juvenile hormones, and epigenetics. We summarize the mode-of-action and roles of these hormones in post-embryonic development, and provide a general overview of epigenetic mechanisms. We then highlight recent advances on the interactions between these hormonal pathways and epigenetics, and their involvement in development. Furthermore, we give an overview of several 'omics techniques employed in the field. Finally, we discuss which questions remain unanswered and possible avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Geens
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59 box 2465, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Stijn Goossens
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59 box 2465, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Jia Li
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Yves Van de Peer
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Jozef Vanden Broeck
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59 box 2465, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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24
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Shen Q, Song G, Lin H, Bai H, Huang Y, Lv F, Wang S. Sensing, Imaging, and Therapeutic Strategies Endowing by Conjugate Polymers for Precision Medicine. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2310032. [PMID: 38316396 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202310032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Conjugated polymers (CPs) have promising applications in biomedical fields, such as disease monitoring, real-time imaging diagnosis, and disease treatment. As a promising luminescent material with tunable emission, high brightness and excellent stability, CPs are widely used as fluorescent probes in biological detection and imaging. Rational molecular design and structural optimization have broadened absorption/emission range of CPs, which are more conductive for disease diagnosis and precision therapy. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in the application of CPs, aiming to elucidate their structural and functional relationships. The fluorescence properties of CPs and the mechanism of detection signal amplification are first discussed, followed by an elucidation of their emerging applications in biological detection. Subsequently, CPs-based imaging systems and therapeutic strategies are illustrated systematically. Finally, recent advancements in utilizing CPs as electroactive materials for bioelectronic devices are also investigated. Moreover, the challenges and outlooks of CPs for precision medicine are discussed. Through this systematic review, it is hoped to highlight the frontier progress of CPs and promote new breakthroughs in fundamental research and clinical transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Shen
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Gang Song
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Hongrui Lin
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Haotian Bai
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Yiming Huang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Fengting Lv
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Shu Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
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25
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Jiang L, Zhang P, Huang LT, Yu XL, Liu CY, Yuan XC, Liu S, Huang H. Life-stage specificity and temporal variations in transcriptomes and DNA methylomes of the reef coral Pocillopora damicornis in response to thermal acclimation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 921:171098. [PMID: 38387572 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the acclimation capacity of reef corals across generations to thermal stress and its underlying molecular underpinnings could provide insights into their resilience and adaptive responses to future climate change. Here, we acclimated adult brooding coral Pocillopora damicornis to high temperature (32 °C vs. 29 °C) for three weeks and analyzed the changes in phenotypes, transcriptomes and DNA methylomes of adult corals and their brooded larvae. Results showed that although adult corals did not show noticeable bleaching after thermal exposure, they released fewer but larger larvae. Interestingly, larval cohorts from two consecutive lunar days exhibited contrasting physiological resistance to thermal stress, as evidenced by the divergent responses of area-normalized symbiont densities and photochemical efficiency to thermal stress. RNA-seq and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing revealed that adult and larval corals mounted distinct transcriptional and DNA methylation changes in response to thermal stress. Remarkably, larval transcriptomes and DNA methylomes also varied greatly among lunar days and thermal treatments, aligning well with their physiological metrics. Overall, our study shows that changes in transcriptomes and DNA methylomes in response to thermal acclimation can be highly life stage-specific. More importantly, thermally-acclimated adult corals could produce larval offspring with temporally contrasting photochemical performance and thermal resilience, and such variations in larval phenotypes are associated with differential transcriptomes and DNA methylomes, and are likely to increase the likelihood of reproductive success and plasticity of larval propagules under thermal stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; CAS-HKUST Sanya Joint Laboratory of Marine Science Research, Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Ocean Eco-Environmental Engineering, SCSIO, Sanya 572000, China; Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Pan Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; CAS-HKUST Sanya Joint Laboratory of Marine Science Research, Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Ocean Eco-Environmental Engineering, SCSIO, Sanya 572000, China; Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lin-Tao Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; CAS-HKUST Sanya Joint Laboratory of Marine Science Research, Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Ocean Eco-Environmental Engineering, SCSIO, Sanya 572000, China; Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiao-Lei Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; CAS-HKUST Sanya Joint Laboratory of Marine Science Research, Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Ocean Eco-Environmental Engineering, SCSIO, Sanya 572000, China; Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Cheng-Yue Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; CAS-HKUST Sanya Joint Laboratory of Marine Science Research, Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Ocean Eco-Environmental Engineering, SCSIO, Sanya 572000, China; Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Xiang-Cheng Yuan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; CAS-HKUST Sanya Joint Laboratory of Marine Science Research, Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Ocean Eco-Environmental Engineering, SCSIO, Sanya 572000, China; Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Sheng Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; CAS-HKUST Sanya Joint Laboratory of Marine Science Research, Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Ocean Eco-Environmental Engineering, SCSIO, Sanya 572000, China; Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Hui Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; CAS-HKUST Sanya Joint Laboratory of Marine Science Research, Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Ocean Eco-Environmental Engineering, SCSIO, Sanya 572000, China; Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, China.
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26
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Wazahat R, Zaidi R, Kumar P. Epigenetic regulations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Indian J Tuberc 2024; 71:204-212. [PMID: 38589125 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijtb.2023.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) employs several sophisticated strategies to evade host immunity and facilitate its intracellular survival. One of them is the epigenetic manipulation of host chromatin by three strategies i.e., DNA methylation, histone modifications and miRNA involvement. A host-directed therapeutic can be an attractive approach that targets these host epigenetics or gene regulations and circumvent manipulation of host cell machinery by Mtb. Given the complexity of the nature of intracellular infection by Mtb, there are challenges in identifying the important host proteins, non-coding RNA or the secretory proteins of Mtb itself that directly or indirectly bring upon the epigenetic modifications in the host chromatin. Equally challenging is developing the methods of targeting these epigenetic factors through chemical or non-chemical approaches as host-directed therapeutics. The current review article briefly summarizes several of the epigenetic factors that serve to bring upon potential changes in the host transcriptional machinery and targets the immune system for immunosuppression and disease progression in Mtb infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rushna Wazahat
- Department of Biochemistry, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi 110062, India.
| | - Rana Zaidi
- Department of Biochemistry, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi 110062, India
| | - Pankaj Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi 110062, India.
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27
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Ren X, Zhao J, Hu J. Non-concordant epigenetic and transcriptional responses to acute thermal stress in western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis). Mol Ecol 2024:e17332. [PMID: 38529738 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Climate change is intensifying the frequency and severity of extreme temperatures. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the ability to cope with acute thermal stress is key for predicting species' responses to extreme temperature events. While many studies have focused on the individual roles of gene expression, post-transcriptional processes and epigenetic modifications in response to acute thermal stress, the relative contribution of these molecular mechanisms remains unclear. The wide range of thermal limits of western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) provides an opportunity to explore this interplay. Here, we quantified changes in gene expression, alternative splicing, DNA methylation and microRNA (miRNA) expression in muscle tissue dissected from mosquitofish immediately after reaching high (CTmax) or low thermal limit (CTmin). Although the numbers of genes showing expression and splicing changes in response to acute temperature stress were small, we found a possibly larger and non-redundant role of splicing compared to gene expression, with more genes being differentially spliced (DSGs) than differentially expressed (DEGs), and little overlap between DSGs and DEGs. We also identified a small proportion of CpGs showing significant methylation change (i.e. differentially methylated cytosines, DMCs) in fish at thermal limits; however, there was no overlap between DEGs and genes annotated with DMCs in both CTmax and CTmin experiments. The weak interplay between epigenetic modifications and gene expression was further supported by our discoveries of no differentially expressed miRNAs. These findings provide novel insights into the relative role of different molecular mechanisms underlying immediate responses to extreme temperatures and demonstrate non-concordant responses of epigenetic and transcriptional mechanisms to acute temperature stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingyue Ren
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Center for Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Junjie Zhao
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Center for Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Juntao Hu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Center for Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
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28
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Xu S, Shiomi H, Yamashita Y, Koyama S, Horie T, Baba O, Kimura M, Nakashima Y, Sowa N, Hasegawa K, Suzuki A, Suzuki Y, Kimura T, Ono K. CRISPR-Cas9-guided amplification-free genomic diagnosis for familial hypercholesterolemia using nanopore sequencing. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297231. [PMID: 38507394 PMCID: PMC10954175 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Familial hypercholesterolemia is an inherited disorder that remains underdiagnosed. Conventional genetic testing methods such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) or target PCR are based on the amplification process. Due to the efficiency limits of polymerase and ligase enzymes, these methods usually target short regions and do not detect large mutations straightforwardly. This study combined the long-read nanopore sequencing and CRISPR-Cas9 system to sequence the target DNA molecules without amplification. We originally designed and optimized the CRISPR-RNA panel to target the low-density lipoprotein receptor gene (LDLR) and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 gene (PCSK9) from human genomic DNA followed by nanopore sequencing. The average coverages for LDLR and PCSK9 were 106× and 420×, versus 1.2× for the background genome. Among them, continuous reads were 52x and 307x, respectively, and spanned the entire length of LDLR and PCSK9. We identified pathogenic mutations in both coding and splicing donor regions in LDLR. We also detected an 11,029 bp large deletion in another case. Furthermore, using continuous long reads generated from the benchmark experiment, we demonstrated how a false-positive 670 bp deletion caused by PCR amplification errors was easily eliminated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sijia Xu
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hiroki Shiomi
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yugo Yamashita
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Satoshi Koyama
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takahiro Horie
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Osamu Baba
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masahiro Kimura
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Nakashima
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Naoya Sowa
- Division of Translational Research, National Hospital Organization, Kyoto Medical Center, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Koji Hasegawa
- Division of Translational Research, National Hospital Organization, Kyoto Medical Center, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ayako Suzuki
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier, Tokyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yutaka Suzuki
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier, Tokyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takeshi Kimura
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Koh Ono
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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Qin Y, Li T, An P, Ren Z, Xi J, Tang B. Important role of DNA methylation hints at significant potential in tuberculosis. Arch Microbiol 2024; 206:177. [PMID: 38494532 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-024-03888-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB), an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, has persisted as a major global public health threat for millennia. Until now, TB continues to challenge efforts aimed at controlling it, with drug resistance and latent infections being the two main factors hindering treatment efficacy. The scientific community is still striving to understand the underlying mechanisms behind Mtb's drug resistance and latent infection. DNA methylation, a critical epigenetic modification occurring throughout an individual's growth and development, has gained attention following advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies. Researchers have observed abnormal DNA methylation patterns in the host genome during Mtb infection. Given the escalating issue of drug-resistant Mtb, delving into the role of DNA methylation in TB's development is crucial. This review article explores DNA methylation's significance in human growth, development and disease, and its role in regulating Mtb's evolution and infection processes. Additionally, it discusses potential applications of DNA methylation research in tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuexuan Qin
- School of Life Science, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Immunology in Chronic Diseases, Anhui Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233030, Anhui Province, China
| | - Tianyue Li
- School of Life Science, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Immunology in Chronic Diseases, Anhui Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233030, Anhui Province, China
| | - Peiyan An
- School of Life Science, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Immunology in Chronic Diseases, Anhui Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233030, Anhui Province, China
| | - Zhi Ren
- First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233030, Anhui Province, China
| | - Jun Xi
- School of Life Science, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Immunology in Chronic Diseases, Anhui Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233030, Anhui Province, China.
| | - Bikui Tang
- School of Life Science, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Immunology in Chronic Diseases, Anhui Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233030, Anhui Province, China.
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Bajpai SK, Nisha, Pandita S, Bahadur A, Verma PC. Recent advancements in the role of histone acetylation dynamics to improve stress responses in plants. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:413. [PMID: 38472555 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09300-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
In eukaryotes, transcriptional regulation is determined by the DNA sequence and is facilitated through sophisticated and complex chromatin alterations and histone remodelling. Recent research has shown that the histone acetylation dynamic, an intermittent and reversible substitution, constitutes a prerequisite for chromatin modification. These changes in chromatin structure modulate genome-wide and specific changes in response to external and internal cues like cell differentiation, development, growth, light temperature, and biotic stresses. Histone acetylation dynamics also control the cell cycle. HATs and HDACs play a critical role in gene expression modulation during plant growth and response to environmental circumstances. It has been well established that HATs and HDACs interact with various distinct transcription factors and chromatin-remodelling proteins (CRPs) involved in the transcriptional regulation of several developmental processes. This review explores recent research on histone acyltransferases and histone deacetylases, mainly focusing on their involvement in plant biotic stress responses. Moreover, we also emphasized the research gaps that must be filled to fully understand the complete function of histone acetylation dynamics during biotic stress responses in plants. A thorough understanding of histone acetylation will make it possible to enhance tolerance against various kinds of stress and decrease yield losses in many crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Kumar Bajpai
- Molecular Biology & Biotechnology Division, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow, UP, 226001, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
| | - Nisha
- Molecular Biology & Biotechnology Division, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow, UP, 226001, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
| | - Shivali Pandita
- Molecular Biology & Biotechnology Division, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow, UP, 226001, India
- Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, 226007, India
| | - Anand Bahadur
- Molecular Biology & Biotechnology Division, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow, UP, 226001, India
- Department of Botany, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, 226007, India
| | - Praveen C Verma
- Molecular Biology & Biotechnology Division, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow, UP, 226001, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India.
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31
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Kriukienė E, Tomkuvienė M, Klimašauskas S. 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine: the many faces of the sixth base of mammalian DNA. Chem Soc Rev 2024; 53:2264-2283. [PMID: 38205583 DOI: 10.1039/d3cs00858d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Epigenetic phenomena play a central role in cell regulatory processes and are important factors for understanding complex human disease. One of the best understood epigenetic mechanisms is DNA methylation. In the mammalian genome, cytosines (C) in CpG dinucleotides were long known to undergo methylation at the 5-position of the pyrimidine ring (mC). Later it was found that mC can be oxidized to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (hmC) or even further to 5-formylcytosine (fC) and to 5-carboxylcytosine (caC) by the action of 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases of the TET family. These findings unveiled a long elusive mechanism of active DNA demethylation and bolstered a wave of studies in the area of epigenetic regulation in mammals. This review is dedicated to critical assessment of recent data on biochemical and chemical aspects of the formation and conversion of hmC in DNA, analytical techniques used for detection and mapping of this nucleobase in mammalian genomes as well as epigenetic roles of hmC in DNA replication, transcription, cell differentiation and human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edita Kriukienė
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio al. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Miglė Tomkuvienė
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio al. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Saulius Klimašauskas
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio al. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania.
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Taglini F, Kafetzopoulos I, Rolls W, Musialik KI, Lee HY, Zhang Y, Marenda M, Kerr L, Finan H, Rubio-Ramon C, Gautier P, Wapenaar H, Kumar D, Davidson-Smith H, Wills J, Murphy LC, Wheeler A, Wilson MD, Sproul D. DNMT3B PWWP mutations cause hypermethylation of heterochromatin. EMBO Rep 2024; 25:1130-1155. [PMID: 38291337 PMCID: PMC7615734 DOI: 10.1038/s44319-024-00061-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The correct establishment of DNA methylation patterns is vital for mammalian development and is achieved by the de novo DNA methyltransferases DNMT3A and DNMT3B. DNMT3B localises to H3K36me3 at actively transcribing gene bodies via its PWWP domain. It also functions at heterochromatin through an unknown recruitment mechanism. Here, we find that knockout of DNMT3B causes loss of methylation predominantly at H3K9me3-marked heterochromatin and that DNMT3B PWWP domain mutations or deletion result in striking increases of methylation in H3K9me3-marked heterochromatin. Removal of the N-terminal region of DNMT3B affects its ability to methylate H3K9me3-marked regions. This region of DNMT3B directly interacts with HP1α and facilitates the bridging of DNMT3B with H3K9me3-marked nucleosomes in vitro. Our results suggest that DNMT3B is recruited to H3K9me3-marked heterochromatin in a PWWP-independent manner that is facilitated by the protein's N-terminal region through an interaction with a key heterochromatin protein. More generally, we suggest that DNMT3B plays a role in DNA methylation homeostasis at heterochromatin, a process which is disrupted in cancer, aging and Immunodeficiency, Centromeric Instability and Facial Anomalies (ICF) syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Taglini
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- CRUK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ioannis Kafetzopoulos
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- CRUK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Altos Labs, Cambridge Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Willow Rolls
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kamila Irena Musialik
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- CRUK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences and Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Heng Yang Lee
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- CRUK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Endocrine Oncology Research Group, Department of Surgery, The Royal College of Surgeons RCSI, University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Yujie Zhang
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mattia Marenda
- IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Department of Experimental Oncology, Milan, Italy
| | - Lyndsay Kerr
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Hannah Finan
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- CRUK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zürich, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Cristina Rubio-Ramon
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- CRUK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Gautier
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Hannah Wapenaar
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Dhananjay Kumar
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Hazel Davidson-Smith
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jimi Wills
- CRUK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Laura C Murphy
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ann Wheeler
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Marcus D Wilson
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Duncan Sproul
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
- CRUK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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Song B, Buckler ES, Stitzer MC. New whole-genome alignment tools are needed for tapping into plant diversity. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 29:355-369. [PMID: 37749022 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Genome alignment is one of the most foundational methods for genome sequence studies. With rapid advances in sequencing and assembly technologies, these newly assembled genomes present challenges for alignment tools to meet the increased complexity and scale. Plant genome alignment is technologically challenging because of frequent whole-genome duplications (WGDs) as well as chromosome rearrangements and fractionation, high nucleotide diversity, widespread structural variation, and high transposable element (TE) activity causing large proportions of repeat elements. We summarize classical pairwise and multiple genome alignment (MGA) methods, and highlight techniques that are widely used or are being developed by the plant research community. We also outline the remaining challenges for precise genome alignment and the interpretation of alignment results in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoxing Song
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat Improvement, Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agriculture Sciences in Weifang, Weifang, Shandong 261325, China; Key Laboratory of Maize Biology and Genetic Breeding in Arid Area of Northwest Region of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Edward S Buckler
- Institute for Genomic Diversity, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Section of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Michelle C Stitzer
- Institute for Genomic Diversity, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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da Silva Filho JLB, Pestana RKN, da Silva Júnior WJ, Coelho Filho MA, Ferreira CF, de Oliveira EJ, Kido EA. Exploiting DNA methylation in cassava under water deficit for crop improvement. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296254. [PMID: 38386677 PMCID: PMC10883565 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation plays a key role in the development and plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. This work aimed to evaluate the DNA methylation in contrasting cassava genotypes for water deficit tolerance. The varieties BRS Formosa (bitter) and BRS Dourada (sweet) were grown under greenhouse conditions for 50 days, and afterwards, irrigation was suspended. The stressed (water deficit) and non-stressed plants (negative control) consisted the treatments with five plants per variety. The DNA samples of each variety and treatment provided 12 MethylRAD-Seq libraries (two cassava varieties, two treatments, and three replicates). The sequenced data revealed methylated sites covering 18 to 21% of the Manihot esculenta Crantz genome, depending on the variety and the treatment. The CCGG methylated sites mapped mostly in intergenic regions, exons, and introns, while the CCNGG sites mapped mostly intergenic, upstream, introns, and exons regions. In both cases, methylated sites in UTRs were less detected. The differentially methylated sites analysis indicated distinct methylation profiles since only 12% of the sites (CCGG and CCNGG) were methylated in both varieties. Enriched gene ontology terms highlighted the immediate response of the bitter variety to stress, while the sweet variety appears to suffer more potential stress-damages. The predicted protein-protein interaction networks reinforced such profiles. Additionally, the genomes of the BRS varieties uncovered SNPs/INDELs events covering genes stood out by the interactomes. Our data can be useful in deciphering the roles of DNA methylation in cassava drought-tolerance responses and adaptation to abiotic stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Wilson José da Silva Júnior
- Laboratório de Genética Molecular de Plantas, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Ederson Akio Kido
- Laboratório de Genética Molecular de Plantas, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
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Draškovič T, Hauptman N. Discovery of novel DNA methylation biomarker panels for the diagnosis and differentiation between common adenocarcinomas and their liver metastases. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3095. [PMID: 38326602 PMCID: PMC10850119 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53754-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Differentiation between adenocarcinomas is sometimes challenging. The promising avenue for discovering new biomarkers lies in bioinformatics using DNA methylation analysis. Utilizing a 2853-sample identification dataset and a 782-sample independent verification dataset, we have identified diagnostic DNA methylation biomarkers that are hypermethylated in cancer and differentiate between breast invasive carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, colorectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma, pancreatic adenocarcinoma and stomach adenocarcinoma. The best panels for cancer type exhibit sensitivity of 77.8-95.9%, a specificity of 92.7-97.5% for tumors, a specificity of 91.5-97.7% for tumors and normal tissues and a diagnostic accuracy of 85.3-96.4%. We have shown that the results can be extended from the primary cancers to their liver metastases, as the best panels diagnose and differentiate between pancreatic adenocarcinoma liver metastases and breast invasive carcinoma liver metastases with a sensitivity and specificity of 83.3-100% and a diagnostic accuracy of 86.8-91.9%. Moreover, the panels could detect hypermethylation of selected regions in the cell-free DNA of patients with liver metastases. At the same time, these were unmethylated in the cell-free DNA of healthy donors, confirming their applicability for liquid biopsies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Draškovič
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pathology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Nina Hauptman
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pathology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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36
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VanKeulen-Miller R, Fenton OS. Messenger RNA Therapy for Female Reproductive Health. Mol Pharm 2024; 21:393-409. [PMID: 38189262 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Female reproductive health has traditionally been an underrepresented area of research in the drug delivery sciences. This disparity is also seen in the emerging field of mRNA therapeutics, a class of medicines that promises to treat and prevent disease by upregulating protein expression in the body. Here, we review advances in mRNA therapies through the lens of improving female reproductive health. Specifically, we begin our review by discussing the fundamental structure and biochemical modifications associated with mRNA-based drugs. Then, we discuss various packaging technologies, including lipid nanoparticles, that can be utilized to protect and transport mRNA drugs to target cells in the body. Last, we conclude our review by discussing the usage of mRNA therapy for addressing pregnancy-related health and vaccination against sexually transmitted diseases in women. Of note, we also highlight relevant clinical trials using mRNA for female reproductive health while also providing their corresponding National Clinical Trial identifiers. In undertaking this review, our aim is to provide a fundamental background understanding of mRNA therapy and its usage to specifically address female health issues with an overarching goal of providing information toward addressing gender disparity in certain aspects of health research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel VanKeulen-Miller
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Owen S Fenton
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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37
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Chybowska AD, Gadd DA, Cheng Y, Bernabeu E, Campbell A, Walker RM, McIntosh AM, Wrobel N, Murphy L, Welsh P, Sattar N, Price JF, McCartney DL, Evans KL, Marioni RE. Epigenetic Contributions to Clinical Risk Prediction of Cardiovascular Disease. CIRCULATION. GENOMIC AND PRECISION MEDICINE 2024; 17:e004265. [PMID: 38288591 PMCID: PMC10876178 DOI: 10.1161/circgen.123.004265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is among the leading causes of death worldwide. The discovery of new omics biomarkers could help to improve risk stratification algorithms and expand our understanding of molecular pathways contributing to the disease. Here, ASSIGN-a cardiovascular risk prediction tool recommended for use in Scotland-was examined in tandem with epigenetic and proteomic features in risk prediction models in ≥12 657 participants from the Generation Scotland cohort. METHODS Previously generated DNA methylation-derived epigenetic scores (EpiScores) for 109 protein levels were considered, in addition to both measured levels and an EpiScore for cTnI (cardiac troponin I). The associations between individual protein EpiScores and the CVD risk were examined using Cox regression (ncases≥1274; ncontrols≥11 383) and visualized in a tailored R application. Splitting the cohort into independent training (n=6880) and test (n=3659) subsets, a composite CVD EpiScore was then developed. RESULTS Sixty-five protein EpiScores were associated with incident CVD independently of ASSIGN and the measured concentration of cTnI (P<0.05), over a follow-up of up to 16 years of electronic health record linkage. The most significant EpiScores were for proteins involved in metabolic, immune response, and tissue development/regeneration pathways. A composite CVD EpiScore (based on 45 protein EpiScores) was a significant predictor of CVD risk independent of ASSIGN and the concentration of cTnI (hazard ratio, 1.32; P=3.7×10-3; 0.3% increase in C-statistic). CONCLUSIONS EpiScores for circulating protein levels are associated with CVD risk independent of traditional risk factors and may increase our understanding of the etiology of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra D Chybowska
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (A.D.C., D.A.G., Y.C., E.B., A.C., D.L.M., K.L.E., R.E.M.), The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Danni A Gadd
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (A.D.C., D.A.G., Y.C., E.B., A.C., D.L.M., K.L.E., R.E.M.), The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Yipeng Cheng
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (A.D.C., D.A.G., Y.C., E.B., A.C., D.L.M., K.L.E., R.E.M.), The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Elena Bernabeu
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (A.D.C., D.A.G., Y.C., E.B., A.C., D.L.M., K.L.E., R.E.M.), The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Archie Campbell
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (A.D.C., D.A.G., Y.C., E.B., A.C., D.L.M., K.L.E., R.E.M.), The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Rosie M Walker
- School of Psychology, University of Exeter, United Kingdom (R.M.W.)
| | - Andrew M McIntosh
- Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital (A.M.M.), The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola Wrobel
- Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility, Western General Hospital (N.W., L.M.), The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Lee Murphy
- Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility, Western General Hospital (N.W., L.M.), The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Welsh
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, British Heart Foundation Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom (P.W., N.S.)
| | - Naveed Sattar
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, British Heart Foundation Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom (P.W., N.S.)
| | - Jackie F Price
- Usher Institute, Old Medical School (J.F.P.), The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel L McCartney
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (A.D.C., D.A.G., Y.C., E.B., A.C., D.L.M., K.L.E., R.E.M.), The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn L Evans
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (A.D.C., D.A.G., Y.C., E.B., A.C., D.L.M., K.L.E., R.E.M.), The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Riccardo E Marioni
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (A.D.C., D.A.G., Y.C., E.B., A.C., D.L.M., K.L.E., R.E.M.), The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Wu K, Bu F, Wu Y, Zhang G, Wang X, He S, Liu MF, Chen R, Yuan H. Exploring noncoding variants in genetic diseases: from detection to functional insights. J Genet Genomics 2024; 51:111-132. [PMID: 38181897 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2024.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies on genetic diseases predominantly focused on protein-coding variations, overlooking the vast noncoding regions in the human genome. The development of high-throughput sequencing technologies and functional genomics tools has enabled the systematic identification of functional noncoding variants. These variants can impact gene expression, regulation, and chromatin conformation, thereby contributing to disease pathogenesis. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie the impact of noncoding variants on genetic diseases is indispensable for the development of precisely targeted therapies and the implementation of personalized medicine strategies. The intricacies of noncoding regions introduce a multitude of challenges and research opportunities. In this review, we introduce a spectrum of noncoding variants involved in genetic diseases, along with research strategies and advanced technologies for their precise identification and in-depth understanding of the complexity of the noncoding genome. We will delve into the research challenges and propose potential solutions for unraveling the genetic basis of rare and complex diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Wu
- Institute of Rare Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Fengxiao Bu
- Institute of Rare Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Yang Wu
- Institute of Rare Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Gen Zhang
- Institute of Rare Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Health Science of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Shunmin He
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, Center for Big Data Research in Health, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Mo-Fang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Health Science of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
| | - Runsheng Chen
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, Center for Big Data Research in Health, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Huijun Yuan
- Institute of Rare Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.
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Vasileva F, Hristovski R, Font-Lladó R, Georgiev G, Sacot A, López-Ros V, Calleja-González J, Barretina-Ginesta J, López-Bermejo A, Prats-Puig A. Physical Exercise-Induced DNA Methylation in Disease-Related Genes in Healthy Adults-A Systematic Review With Bioinformatic Analysis. J Strength Cond Res 2024; 38:384-393. [PMID: 38088908 DOI: 10.1519/jsc.0000000000004686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Vasileva, F, Hristovski, R, Font-Lladó, R, Georgiev, G, Sacot, A, López-Ros, V, Calleja-González, J, Barretina-Ginesta, J, López-Bermejo, A, and Prats-Puig, A. Physical exercise-induced DNA methylation in disease-related genes in healthy adults-A systematic review with bioinformatic analysis. J Strength Cond Res 38(2): 384-393, 2024-This study aimed to systematically review the existing literature regarding physical exercise (PE) and DNA methylation (DNAm) in healthy adults. Specific goals were to (a) identify differently methylated genes (DMGs) after PE intervention, their imprinting status, chromosome and genomic location, function, and related diseases; and (b) to screen for core genes and identify methylation changes of the core genes that can be modified by PE intervention. Our search identified 2,869 articles from which 8 were finally included. We identified 1851 DMGs ( p < 0.05) after PE intervention, although 45 of them were imprinted. Aerobic exercise (AE) seems to induce more DNA hypermethylation rather than hypomethylation, whereas anaerobic exercise (AN) seems to induce more DNA hypomethylation rather than hypermethylation. Aerobic exercise induced highest % of methylation changes on chromosome 6, whereas AN and mixed type (MT) on chromosome 1. Mixed type induced higher % of methylation changes close to transcription start site in comparison to AE and AN. After PE intervention, DMGs were mainly involved in fat metabolism, cell growth, and neuronal differentiation, whereas diseases regulated by those genes were mainly chronic diseases (metabolic, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative). Finally, 19 core genes were identified among DMGs, all related to protein metabolism. In conclusion, our findings may shed some light on the mechanisms explaining PE-induced health benefits such as the potential role that PE-induced DNAm may have in disease prevention and disease treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fidanka Vasileva
- University School of Health and Sport, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
- Pediatric Endocrinology Research Group, Girona Institute for Biomedical Research, Girona, Spain
| | - Robert Hristovski
- Faculty of Physical Education, Sport and Health, University Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
| | - Raquel Font-Lladó
- University School of Health and Sport, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
- Research Group of Culture and Education, Institute of Educational Research, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Georgi Georgiev
- Faculty of Physical Education, Sport and Health, University Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
| | - Arnau Sacot
- University School of Health and Sport, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
- Basquet Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Víctor López-Ros
- University School of Health and Sport, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
- Chair of Sport and Physical Education-Centre of Olympic Studies, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Julio Calleja-González
- Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Education and Sport, University of the Basque Country, Vitoria, Spain
| | | | - Abel López-Bermejo
- Pediatric Endocrinology Research Group, Girona Institute for Biomedical Research, Girona, Spain
- Pediatric Endocrinology, Dr. Josep Girona Hospital, Girona, Spain
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Girona, Girona, Spain; and
| | - Anna Prats-Puig
- University School of Health and Sport, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
- Research Group of Clinical Anatomy, Embryology and Neuroscience, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
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Seem K, Kaur S, Kumar S, Mohapatra T. Epigenome editing for targeted DNA (de)methylation: a new perspective in modulating gene expression. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2024; 59:69-98. [PMID: 38440883 DOI: 10.1080/10409238.2024.2320659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Traditionally, it has been believed that inheritance is driven as phenotypic variations resulting from changes in DNA sequence. However, this paradigm has been challenged and redefined in the contemporary era of epigenetics. The changes in DNA methylation, histone modification, non-coding RNA biogenesis, and chromatin remodeling play crucial roles in genomic functions and regulation of gene expression. More importantly, some of these changes are inherited to the next generations as a part of epigenetic memory and play significant roles in gene expression. The sum total of all changes in DNA bases, histone proteins, and ncRNA biogenesis constitutes the epigenome. Continuous progress in deciphering epigenetic regulations and the existence of heritable epigenetic/epiallelic variations associated with trait of interest enables to deploy epigenome editing tools to modulate gene expression. DNA methylation marks can be utilized in epigenome editing for the manipulation of gene expression. Initially, genome/epigenome editing technologies relied on zinc-finger protein or transcriptional activator-like effector protein. However, the discovery of clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats CRISPR)/deadCRISPR-associated protein 9 (dCas9) enabled epigenome editing to be more specific/efficient for targeted DNA (de)methylation. One of the major concerns has been the off-target effects, wherein epigenome editing may unintentionally modify gene/regulatory element which may cause unintended change/harmful effects. Moreover, epigenome editing of germline cell raises several ethical/safety issues. This review focuses on the recent developments in epigenome editing tools/techniques, technological limitations, and future perspectives of this emerging technology in therapeutics for human diseases as well as plant improvement to achieve sustainable developmental goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karishma Seem
- Division of Biochemistry, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Simardeep Kaur
- Division of Biochemistry, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Suresh Kumar
- Division of Biochemistry, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Trilochan Mohapatra
- Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority, New Delhi, India
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Gardner CC, Abele JA, Winkler TJ, Reckers CN, Anas SA, James PF. Common as well as unique methylation-sensitive DNA regulatory elements in three mammalian SLC9C1 genes. Gene 2024; 893:147897. [PMID: 37832806 PMCID: PMC10841394 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
The SLC9C1 gene (which encodes the NHE10 protein) is essential for male fertility in both mice and humans, however the epigenetic mechanisms regulating its testis/sperm-specific gene expression have yet to be studied. Here we identify and characterize DNA regulatory elements of the SLC9C1 gene across three mammalian species: mouse, rat, and human. First, in silico analysis of these mammalian SLC9C1 genes identified a CpG island located upstream of the transcription start site in the same relative position in all three genes. Further analysis reveals that this CpG island behaves differently, with respect to gene regulatory activity, in the mouse SLC9C1 gene than it does in the rat and human SLC9C1 gene. The mouse SLC9C1 CpG island displays strong promoter activity by itself and seems to have a stronger gene regulatory effect than either the rat or human SLC9C1 CpG islands. While the function of the upstream SLC9C1 CpG island may be divergent across the three studied species, it appears that the promoters of these three mammalian SLC9C1 genes share similar DNA methylation-sensitive regulatory mechanisms. All three SLC9C1 promoter regions are differentially methylated in lung and testis, being more hypermethylated in lung relative to the testis, and DNA sequence alignments provide strong evidence of primary sequence conservation. Luciferase assays reveal that in vitro methylation of constructs containing different elements of the three SLC9C1 genes largely exhibit methylation-sensitive promoter activity (reduced promoter activity when methylated) in both HEK 293 and GC-1spg cells. In total, our data suggest that the DNA methylation-sensitive elements of the mouse, rat, and human SLC9C1 promoters are largely conserved, while the upstream SLC9C1 CpG island common to all three species seems to perform a different function in mouse than it does in rat and human. This work provides evidence that while homologous genes can all be regulated by DNA methylation-dependent epigenetic mechanisms, the location of the specific cis-regulatory elements responsible for this regulation can differ across species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jason A Abele
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | | | | | - Sydney A Anas
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Paul F James
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
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42
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Li M, Ma Y. Robust estimation of mean-variance relation. Stat Med 2024; 43:419-434. [PMID: 37994214 DOI: 10.1002/sim.9970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Accurate assessment of the mean-variance relation can benefit subsequent analysis in biomedical research. However, in most biomedical data, both the true mean and the true variance are unavailable. Instead, raw data are typically used to allow forming sample mean and sample variance in practice. In addition, different experimental conditions sometimes cause a slightly different mean-variance relation from the majority of the data in the same data set. To address these issues, we propose a semiparametric estimator, where we treat the uncertainty in the sample mean as a measurement error problem, the uncertainty in the sample variance as model error, and use a mixture model to account for different mean-variance relations. Asymptotic normality of the proposed method is established and its finite sample properties are demonstrated by simulation studies. The data application shows that the proposed method produces sensible results compared with methods either ignoring the uncertainty in the sample means or ignoring the potential different mean-variance relations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mushan Li
- Department of Statistics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Yanyuan Ma
- Department of Statistics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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Zhang H, Kalla R, Chen J, Zhao J, Zhou X, Adams A, Noble A, Ventham NT, Wellens J, Ho GT, Dunlop MG, Nowak JK, Ding Y, Liu Z, Satsangi J, Theodoratou E, Li X. Altered DNA methylation within DNMT3A, AHRR, LTA/TNF loci mediates the effect of smoking on inflammatory bowel disease. Nat Commun 2024; 15:595. [PMID: 38238335 PMCID: PMC10796384 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44841-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
This work aims to investigate how smoking exerts effect on the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A prospective cohort study and a Mendelian randomization study are first conducted to evaluate the association between smoking behaviors, smoking-related DNA methylation and the risks of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). We then perform both genome-wide methylation analysis and co-localization analysis to validate the observed associations. Compared to never smoking, current and previous smoking habits are associated with increased CD (P = 7.09 × 10-10) and UC (P < 2 × 10-16) risk, respectively. DNA methylation alteration at cg17742416 [DNMT3A] is linked to both CD (P = 7.30 × 10-8) and UC (P = 1.04 × 10-4) risk, while cg03599224 [LTA/TNF] is associated with CD risk (P = 1.91 × 10-6), and cg14647125 [AHRR] and cg23916896 [AHRR] are linked to UC risk (P = 0.001 and 0.002, respectively). Our study identifies biological mechanisms and pathways involved in the effects of smoking on the pathogenesis of IBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Zhang
- Department of Big Data in Health Science School of Public Health and The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Rahul Kalla
- Edinburgh IBD Science Unit, Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Big Data in Health Science School of Public Health and The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jianhui Zhao
- Department of Big Data in Health Science School of Public Health and The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xuan Zhou
- Department of Big Data in Health Science School of Public Health and The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Centre for Population Health Sciences, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Alex Adams
- Translational Gastroenterology Unit, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Experimental Medicine Division, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Alexandra Noble
- Translational Gastroenterology Unit, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Experimental Medicine Division, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Nicholas T Ventham
- Academic Coloproctology, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Judith Wellens
- Translational Gastroenterology Unit, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Experimental Medicine Division, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Gwo-Tzer Ho
- Edinburgh IBD Science Unit, Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Malcolm G Dunlop
- Cancer Research UK Scotland Centre and Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jan Krzysztof Nowak
- Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Metabolic Diseases, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Yuan Ding
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhanju Liu
- Center for IBD Research, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jack Satsangi
- Translational Gastroenterology Unit, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Experimental Medicine Division, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.
| | - Evropi Theodoratou
- Cancer Research UK Scotland Centre and Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
- Centre for Global Health, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Xue Li
- Department of Big Data in Health Science School of Public Health and The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Centre for Population Health Sciences, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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Santos DS, Rocha MA, Mello MLS. Epigenetic studies in insects and the valproic acid perspective. BRAZ J BIOL 2024; 84:e256045. [DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.256045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract Valproic acid in association with sodium valproate (VPA) is an important anticonvulsant drug used for decades to treat neurological disorders. VPA also acts as an epigenetic modulator by inhibiting histone deacetylases, permitting histone acetylation, affecting the DNA and histone methylation status and gene expression, and inducing chromatin remodeling. Insects represent an important animal model for studies in several areas of science. Their high phenotypic plasticity makes them alternative models for epigenetic studies. This brief review emphasizes recent reports on insect epigenetics and the contribution of studies on the VPA action in insects, including effects on epigenetic markers, extending the pharmacological understanding of the potential of this drug, and demonstrating the usefulness of insects as an alternative animal model to drug studies.
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45
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Costantini E, Carrarini C, Calisi D, De Rosa M, Simone M, Di Crosta A, Palumbo R, Cipollone A, Aielli L, De Laurentis M, Colarusso L, Pilotto A, Padovani A, Konstantinidou F, Gatta V, Stuppia L, Cipollone F, Di Nicola M, Reale M, Bonanni L. Search in the Periphery for Potential Inflammatory Biomarkers of Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 99:1147-1158. [PMID: 38759010 PMCID: PMC11191525 DOI: 10.3233/jad-231471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Background Neuroinflammation, with altered peripheral proinflammatory cytokine production, plays a major role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), while the role of inflammation in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is less known and the results of different studies are often in disagreement. Objective The present study aimed to investigate the levels of TNFα and IL-6 in serum and supernatants, and the related DNA methylation in patients affected by DLB and AD compared to healthy controls (HCs), to clarify the role of epigenetic mechanisms of DNA promoter methylation on of pro-inflammatory cytokines overproduction. Methods Twenty-one patients with DLB and fourteen with AD were frequency-matched for age and sex with eleven HCs. Clinical evaluation, TNFα and IL-6 gene methylation status, cytokine gene expression levels and production in serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) supernatants were performed. Results In AD and DLB patients, higher serum levels of IL-6 and TNFα were detected than in HCs. Differences in LPS-stimulated versus spontaneous PBMCs were observed between DLB, AD, and HC in the levels of TNFα (p = 0.027) and IL-6 (p < 0.001). Higher levels were also revealed for sIL-6R in DLB (p < 0.001) and AD (p < 0.001) in comparison with HC.DNA hypomethylation in IL-6 and TNFα CpG promoter sites was detected for DLB and AD patients compared to the corresponding site in HCs. Conclusions Our preliminary study documented increased levels of IL-6 and TNFα in DLB and AD patients to HCs. This overproduction can be due to epigenetic mechanisms regarding the hypomethylation of DNA promoters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Costantini
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
| | - Claudia Carrarini
- Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS San Raffaele, Rome, Italy
| | - Dario Calisi
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
| | - Matteo De Rosa
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
| | - Marianna Simone
- Clinics of Neurology SS. Annunziata Hospital of Chieti, Chieti, Italy
| | - Adolfo Di Crosta
- Department of Psychological Health and Territorial Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
| | - Rocco Palumbo
- Department of Psychological Health and Territorial Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
| | - Alessia Cipollone
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
| | - Lisa Aielli
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry, University “G. d’Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
| | | | | | - Andrea Pilotto
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Neurology Unit, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Parkinson’s Disease Rehabilitation Centre, FERB ONLUS-S, Isidoro Hospital, Trescore Balneario, Italy
| | - Alessandro Padovani
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Neurology Unit, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Fani Konstantinidou
- Department of Psychological Health and Territorial Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
| | - Valentina Gatta
- Department of Psychological Health and Territorial Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
| | - Liborio Stuppia
- Department of Psychological Health and Territorial Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
| | - Francesco Cipollone
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
| | - Marta Di Nicola
- Department of Medical and Oral Sciences and Biotechnologies, University “G. d’Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
| | - Marcella Reale
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry, University “G. d’Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
| | - Laura Bonanni
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy
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Vargas-Landin DB, Pflüger J, Nguyen TV, Lister R. Generation of Whole-Genome Bisulfite Sequencing Libraries for Comprehensive DNA Methylome Analysis. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2842:383-390. [PMID: 39012606 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-4051-7_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) enables the detection of DNA methylation at a single base-pair resolution. The treatment of DNA with sodium bisulfite allows the discrimination of methylated and unmethylated cytosines, but the power of this technology can be limited by the input amounts of DNA and the length of DNA fragments due to DNA damage caused by the desulfonation process. Here, we describe a WGBS library preparation protocol that minimizes the loss and damage of DNA, generating high-quality libraries amplified with fewer polymerase chain reaction (PCR) cycles, and hence data with fewer PCR duplicates, from lower amounts of input material. Briefly, genomic DNA is sheared, end-repaired, 3'-adenylated, and ligated to adaptors with fewer clean-up steps in between, minimizing DNA loss. The adapter-ligated DNA is then treated with sodium bisulfite and amplified with a few PCR cycles to reach the yield needed for sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dulce B Vargas-Landin
- Australian Research Council Centres of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology and Plants for Space, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Jahnvi Pflüger
- Australian Research Council Centres of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology and Plants for Space, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Trung Viet Nguyen
- Australian Research Council Centres of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology and Plants for Space, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Ryan Lister
- Australian Research Council Centres of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology and Plants for Space, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia.
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
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Tennenbaum SR, Bortner R, Lynch C, Santymire R, Crosier A, Santiestevan J, Marinari P, Pukazhenthi BS, Comizzoli P, Hawkins MTR, Maldonado JE, Koepfli K, vonHoldt BM, DeCandia AL. Epigenetic changes to gene pathways linked to male fertility in ex situ black-footed ferrets. Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13634. [PMID: 38283602 PMCID: PMC10818088 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Environmental variation can influence the reproductive success of species managed under human care and in the wild, yet the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain largely mysterious. Molecular mechanisms such as epigenetic modifiers are important in mediating the timing and progression of reproduction in humans and model organisms, but few studies have linked epigenetic variation to reproductive fitness in wildlife. Here, we investigated epigenetic variation in black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes), an endangered North American mammal reliant on ex situ management for survival and persistence in the wild. Despite similar levels of genetic diversity in human-managed and wild-born populations, individuals in ex situ facilities exhibit reproductive problems, such as poor sperm quality. Differences across these settings suggest that an environmentally driven decline in reproductive capacity may be occurring in this species. We examined the role of DNA methylation, one well-studied epigenetic modifier, in this emergent condition. We leveraged blood, testes, and semen samples from male black-footed ferrets bred in ex situ facilities and found tissue-type specificity in DNA methylation across the genome, although 1360 Gene Ontology terms associated with male average litter size shared functions across tissues. We then constructed gene networks of differentially methylated genomic sites associated with three different reproductive phenotypes to explore the putative biological impact of variation in DNA methylation. Sperm gene networks associated with average litter size and sperm count were functionally enriched for candidate genes involved in reproduction, development, and its regulation through transcriptional repression. We propose that DNA methylation plays an important role in regulating these reproductive phenotypes, thereby impacting the fertility of male ex situ individuals. Our results provide information into how DNA methylation may function in the alteration of reproductive pathways and phenotypes in artificial environments. These findings provide early insights to conservation hurdles faced in the protection of this rare species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robyn Bortner
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Black‐Footed Ferret Conservation CenterCarrColoradoUSA
| | | | - Rachel Santymire
- Biology DepartmentGeorgia State UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
- Center for Species SurvivalSmithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology InstituteFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
| | - Adrienne Crosier
- Center for Animal Care SciencesSmithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology InstituteFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
| | - Jenny Santiestevan
- Center for Species SurvivalSmithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology InstituteFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
| | - Paul Marinari
- Center for Animal Care SciencesSmithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology InstituteFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
| | - Budhan S. Pukazhenthi
- Center for Species SurvivalSmithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology InstituteFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
| | - Pierre Comizzoli
- Center for Species SurvivalSmithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology InstituteFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
| | - Melissa T. R. Hawkins
- Division of Mammals, Department of Vertebrate ZoologyNational Museum of Natural HistoryWashingtonDCUSA
| | - Jesús E. Maldonado
- Center for Conservation GenomicsSmithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology InstituteWashingtonDCUSA
| | - Klaus‐Peter Koepfli
- Center for Species SurvivalSmithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology InstituteFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
- Smithsonian‐Mason School of ConservationGeorge Mason UniversityFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
| | | | - Alexandra L. DeCandia
- Center for Conservation GenomicsSmithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology InstituteWashingtonDCUSA
- BiologyGeorgetown UniversityWashingtonDCUSA
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Zhang Q, Xiao X, Zheng J, Li M, Yu M, Ping F, Wang T, Wang X. DNA methylation regulates pancreatic gene expression and links maternal high-fat diet to the offspring glucose metabolism. J Nutr Biochem 2024; 123:109490. [PMID: 37865384 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2023.109490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Maternal high-fat diet (HFD) is related to an increased risk of glucose metabolism disorders throughout the whole life of offspring. The pancreas is a glucose homeostasis regulator. Accumulating evidence has revealed that maternal HFD affects offspring pancreas structure and function. However, the potential mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the mouse dam was fed with HFD or control diet (CD) during prepregnancy, pregnancy and lactation. The pancreatic insulin secretion function and islet genome methylome of offspring were analyzed. Pancreatic islet specific gene methylation was detected by using MeDIP qPCR. The results showed that body weight, blood glucose after oral glucose loads, fasting serum insulin, and HOMA-IR index values were significantly higher in male 12-week-old offspring from HFD dams than in the offspring from CD dams. Maternal HFD induced insulin secretion defects in male offspring. Compared with that in maternal CD group, methylation of the Abcc8 and Kcnj11 genes was increased in maternal HFD group in male offspring pancreatic islets. Furthermore, the expression levels of Abcc8 and Kcnj11 were downregulated by intrauterine exposure to a maternal HFD. In summary, maternal HFD results in a long-term functional disorder of the pancreas that is involved in insulin secretion-related gene DNA hypermethylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Endocrinology, Ministry of Health, Department of Endocrinology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xinhua Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Endocrinology, Ministry of Health, Department of Endocrinology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Jia Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Endocrinology, Ministry of Health, Department of Endocrinology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ming Li
- Key Laboratory of Endocrinology, Ministry of Health, Department of Endocrinology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Miao Yu
- Key Laboratory of Endocrinology, Ministry of Health, Department of Endocrinology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fan Ping
- Key Laboratory of Endocrinology, Ministry of Health, Department of Endocrinology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Endocrinology, Ministry of Health, Department of Endocrinology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaojing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Endocrinology, Ministry of Health, Department of Endocrinology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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49
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Horisawa K, Miura S, Araki H, Miura F, Ito T, Suzuki A. Transcription factor-mediated direct cellular reprogramming yields cell-type specific DNA methylation signature. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22317. [PMID: 38102164 PMCID: PMC10724236 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49546-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Direct reprogramming, inducing the conversion of one type of somatic cell into another by the forced expression of defined transcription factors, is a technology with anticipated medical applications. However, due to the many unresolved aspects of the induction mechanisms, it is essential to thoroughly analyze the epigenomic state of the generated cells. Here, we performed comparative genome-wide DNA methylation analyses of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and cells composing organoids formed by intestinal stem cells (ISCs) or induced ISCs (iISCs) that were directly induced from MEFs. We found that the CpG methylation state was similar between cells forming ISC organoids and iISC organoids, while they differed widely from those in MEFs. Moreover, genomic regions that were differentially methylated between ISC organoid- and iISC organoid-forming cells did not significantly affect gene expression. These results demonstrate the accuracy and safety of iISC induction, leading to the medical applications of this technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichi Horisawa
- Division of Organogenesis and Regeneration, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Shizuka Miura
- Division of Organogenesis and Regeneration, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Hiromitsu Araki
- Insect Science and Creative Entomology Center, Kyushu University Graduate School of Agriculture, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Fumihito Miura
- Department of Biochemistry, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Takashi Ito
- Department of Biochemistry, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Atsushi Suzuki
- Division of Organogenesis and Regeneration, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan.
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50
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Budzko L, Hoffa-Sobiech K, Jackowiak P, Figlerowicz M. Engineered deaminases as a key component of DNA and RNA editing tools. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2023; 34:102062. [PMID: 38028200 PMCID: PMC10661471 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2023.102062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Over recent years, zinc-dependent deaminases have attracted increasing interest as key components of nucleic acid editing tools that can generate point mutations at specific sites in either DNA or RNA by combining a targeting module (such as a catalytically impaired CRISPR-Cas component) and an effector module (most often a deaminase). Deaminase-based molecular tools are already being utilized in a wide spectrum of therapeutic and research applications; however, their medical and biotechnological potential seems to be much greater. Recent reports indicate that the further development of nucleic acid editing systems depends largely on our ability to engineer the substrate specificity and catalytic activity of the editors themselves. In this review, we summarize the current trends and achievements in deaminase engineering. The presented data indicate that the potential of these enzymes has not yet been fully revealed or understood. Several examples show that even relatively minor changes in the structure of deaminases can give them completely new and unique properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucyna Budzko
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Karolina Hoffa-Sobiech
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Paulina Jackowiak
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Marek Figlerowicz
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
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